More Than Ready’s dynamic turf filly Uni flew through the Del Mar turf stretch to capture Sunday’s $300,000 Matriarch S. by a half-length. Her incredible finished earned the 4-year-old her first Grade 1 win and is More Than Ready’s 28th lifetime Grade 1 winner.
Uni’s three-race winning streak looked in jeopardy at the halfway point of the one-mile Matriarch, when she was some 20 lengths from the front. Unleashing her run with three furlongs to go, Joel Rosario was forced to go eight wide around a wall of horses at the top of the stretch. Still in tenth at mid-stretch, she flew through the final furlong to outrun Daddy Is a Legend in 1:34.35 on the firm turf.
“It was not the plan (to be so far back),” said Chad Brown’s assistant trainer Jose Hernandez. “We told Joel to break with the field and see what happens. (Uni) can come from behind or be up close. I was a little nervous being so far behind, but she was really, really strong in the stretch.”
Owned by Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners, Robert LaPenta, and Bethlehem Stables, Uni is unbeaten in four starts this year. Sunday’s win improved her record to 7-3-2 from 14 starts, with earnings of $892,880.
Uni’s prior graded stakes wins came in the Sands Point S. (G2) and Noble Damsel (G3).
